“Can [I] actually write toward you?
Will you teach me how to write for you,
for the service of your heart?”

—Christophe Lebreton, OCSO| Born from the Gaze of God: The Tibhirine Journal of a Martyr Monk (1993-1996)

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When I was in Oblate Formation at St. Placid Priory several years ago, we remembered the murder of Cistercian monks at Atlas Monastery by Islamic terrorists in Algeria in 1996. A French film, Of Gods and Men (with English subtitles) about the spiritual agony the community went through in deciding to face certain death, whenever it should come, by not deserting the monastery, is available on DVD. Segments of the film are also on YouTube.

The reality of my cancer diagnosis is, day by day, sinking into my consciousness. I learned (from a Hospice worker) the cheapest place in town to get cremated. She also told me what to expect as I go through the process of losing weight and moving towards death. As a US citizen/resident desiring final rest in Sweden, the Swedish Embassy has informed me of the proper protocol.

In the INTERIM, how do I write for the service of God’s heart? Hopefully I am doing that already. The last thing I ever want to do is to spread hate or just write titillating, sensational crap. The days left to me are my sacred oblation to God. There is no profit motive in my blog. But educating readers about transgender, intersex and human rights issues is important. And it is paramount that I keep learning about what I write about.

So, rather than get depressed and just wait for death, I will live as the Rule of Benedict prescribes: BUSINESS AS USUAL. I will live each day for God, keeping my death in mind, because death is “the necessary and desirable doorway to eternal life.” (RB 4:47)

Yes. This is the American way. The highest court in the land must decide for a bipolar, fractured society who you can marry and where you can go to the toilet. Who we ARE does not match our birth bodies for those of us who are transgender. And intersex people get a double whammy since you CAN ONLY BE either a boy or a girl in America

I saw this on the BBC News App and thought you should see it:

Supreme Court to hear transgender school bathroom caseThe US Supreme Court is to rule on whether schools should allow students use bathrooms based on gender identity.
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